summer dreams
by panevil
Summary: troubled girl from Texas find friendship with the Partridges and maybe a little more.
1. Chapter 1

What a beautiful day. I was sitting on a California beach, not to be confused with the normal Texas beach that I was used to sitting on. I had been sent to visit with my cousin in California, after the problems I had been having with my boyfriend …ex-boyfriend.

So like I said here I sit, listening to some band my cousin told me to listen to, she said it would take my mind off of my problems… yeah, right. Though, I have to give them credit…the music was good, real good. It had been so long since I had even listened to music on a radio, that I didn't recognize the group, I figured they were a new band. Thank goodness that music was getting back to what I could listen to again.

When all of a sudden I feel a hand on my shoulder, I must have jumped two feet off of the sand, and an embarrassing little scream came out. I turned around and this really nice looking guy stood there, so I took off my earphones, because I could see his mouth working but I couldn't hear any words.

"Are you okay" he was asking.

I couldn't understand why he would be asking me this, until I realized I had been crying. Now I was embarrassed.

"Um…yes, I was just listening to this tape and it touched a sore place in my heart." He had the nicest eyes and the sexiest lips…what am I doing? What about my broken heart? I just had the feeling this guy could fix anything broken on me….

"Do you mind if I share the beach with you?" he was asking as he sat down next to me.

"No, go ahead." I was feeling tremors run up my back, just at the thought of him sitting next to me. For crying out loud, what was wrong with me?

"I just had to come see if the most beautiful woman on the beach was okay."

Oh boy was he good…"You are a sweet guy." She said.

"That's funny, that's real funny, because that's almost as bad as saying I just want to be friends. But I haven't introduced myself, my name is Keith and you are…?" he gave her his special smile.

"My name is Karie…. Well, Keith, do you spend a lot of time on this beach?" she asked while trying not to stare at his mouth.

"Not as much as I'd like. My job keeps me pretty busy." He was hedging, but this girl interested him and wanted to make sure she could like him for himself, not a singer. "Who are you listening to on that tape?"

Karie looked down at the tape player at her side…she didn't have the slightest idea what the groups' name was… "Look, I know this is going to sound funny, but I don't know, my cousin gave me the tape, she said it would help me get over being sad, but some of the songs are so beautiful" she answered knowing how lame she probably sounded.

"Do you mind me asking why you were sad?" he wondered.

"It's a long story…you know, boy, girl, cheating, screaming, destroying property, parents tired of you upset…." She said.

"Destroying property?" he sounded confused.

"Well, I sort of got angry and broke the window of his car…it was an accident…. I threw his stupid mug at him and he ducked, and it kinda hit his car window. I kept telling my parents I was well over him, but they said I was moping…sure some things reminded me of the good time…but at the end there were so few of those…and I think he was getting mental. I could not get him to leave me alone, so my parents sent me out here to my aunt, whom he doesn't know even exists. I get to spend two months lying around on this beach and having fun, while he is supposed to be forgetting me…and that was much more than you wanted to know wasn't it? Sorry."

"No" he said laughing. "I live here in California, San Pueblo to be exact. But I travel a lot…I have a break from work right now. Almost a month off. Now about that tape, can I listen to it? I might recognize who the group Is. it's a local band, I've heard a lot of them." She handed over her earphones. He listened for a few minutes, then handed them back, started to say something, but was interrupted by somebody yelling his name.

Across the sand came two young boys, straight towards them it looked like. She heard a groan next to her, she glanced over and he was trying to hide behind her. She started laughing.

"Keith, what are you doing?" she asked, still laughing.

"Those are my brothers." He said trying to scoot down lower.

"Then why are you hiding?" she asked.

Too late they had already seen him and were heading towards them. Karie was still laughing when they walked up.

"What's so funny?" This from a red-haired young man around 14 or 15.

Keith had a funny look on his face, so Karie decided to be kind to him.

"Keith was just cheering me up, by making me laugh.

Keith glanced over at her and smiled.

"Hey guys, this is Karie and Karie these are my brothers, Danny (pointing at the redhead) and Chris." He introduced everyone.

"Hello, guys." Karie waved her hand.

"You guys will never believe who she is listening to on her tape player…(he paused to get their attention)..It's the Partridge Family." Keith smiled at them.

Danny whipped his head back around; he had been looking back the way they had come. "Who?" Danny was looking at Keith like he had totally lost it…maybe he had.

"You know…(he winked at his brothers)…so what are you two doing out here?" he asked changing the subject.

"Looking for you, we wanted to know if you were still going with us to the movies tonight?" Danny was still looking back the way he had come from.

"What are you looking at, Danny?" Keith asked.

"We had a run in with some…uh…girls back down the beach. I was kind of afraid they would come this way."

"Well are we still on for tonight?" Chris demanded.

Karie started to pick up her stuff, as she was feeling like a third wheel, when Keith noticed, he turned back to her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I do have to go home sometime and this seemed like a good time." She answered quietly.

Keith looked at his brothers, Danny shrugged his shoulders, Chris smiled real big, you could see these guys were so close that they could almost read each others minds.

"Look, Karie, I know you don't know me very well, but, would you consider going to the movies with me? We wouldn't be alone, you'd have my brothers along as chaperones, if that would make your aunt feel better." He asked.

"I don't know, Keith…" she hesitated.

"Come on, Karie. Keith really wants you to come, and we haven't been to the movies in quite a while…you do like horror movies, don't you?" Chris said, trying to help.

"Oh, now I know I'm not going…I'm so chicken, I should have feathers. The last scary movie I went to the person I went with made me sit through it twice, because she said she was laughing so hard at me that she missed most of the movie the first time." She admitted.

Danny laughed, "Now I want you to go, too. This will be fun."

"I don't know…" Karie was still hesitant, they seemed really nice, and she was attracted to Keith. And Danny seemed like he'd be fun to be around…but what would her aunt say?"

Keith could see she was undecided, "Tell you what, how about you give me your phone number and I'll call and talk to your aunt and we'll see if I can talk her into letting you go out with us."

"Alright, I'll give in if my aunt says yes, but you better have someplace for me to hide, when the scary parts come on." she warned.

"I think I can arrange something." Keith laughingly said, already thinking of that – this could be fun.

So Karie dug around in her beach bag and just happened to have a scrap of paper on which she wrote her number.

"I gotta go, guys, I can't be in the sun too long, I burn, this is real red hair." She fingered the hair hanging just past her shoulders. Keith watched her fingers play in her hair and suddenly wished those were his fingers.

"You want us to walk you home?" Keith asked.

"No, thanks, you all go do what you have to do, thanks anyway." She said picking up the rest of her stuff. She walked off down the beach, after a few minutes of walking she turned around, just to see if they were still there. Sure enough, Keith was still standing there, watching her. He waved when she turned around, then she could see Chris grab his arm and start dragging him towards the direction she had seen Danny and Chris coming from. They sure seemed like a nice bunch of guys.

Later that evening, Karie was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes for her aunt, telling her about the nice day she had at the beach. She told her about meeting the guys, especially about Keith. Then told her aunt that she gave out her phone number. She told her that she was sorry that she didn't ask first before giving it out. But that was okay because she really didn't expect him to call anyway.

Karie jumped up when the phone rang, and her aunt laughed at her, "Who did you not expect to call?"

Karie just made a funny face at her aunt, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" just knowing it was going to be Keith. And it was.

"Hello? Is Karie there?" asked Keith, uncertainly.

"This is Karie. So you actually called." She answered.

"You hurt my feelings…you thought I wouldn't call?" he asked.

"We had only just met, you know. I'm glad that you did though, call I mean." She said.

"Okay, Karie, let me speak to your aunt before you talk yourself out of going." He teased.

Karie gave her aunt the phone, giving her a shy smile. She felt so nervous, wondering just what he was going to say to her aunt.

"Karie, you can have the phone back now. You have to be ready by 7, as that is when Keith and his brothers are coming to pick you up." Karie gave her aunt a big hug and took the phone out of her hand.

"Keith?" she said into the phone.

"Are you ready yet?" was his reply. Karie laughed, he is so funny.

"Now, now, my aunt said I have until 7 to get ready and that means that I have to get off if you want me ready in an hour." She said.

"Why it takes you girls so long just to get ready, I'll never understand, my sisters always hog the bathroom…anyway, I'll let you go get ready, see you at 7." He replied.

"I'll be ready, bye." She promised.

"Bye." He said but did not hang up.

"Keith!"

"Alright, bye."

She heard him laughing as he hung up. Karie just stood there staring at the phone. Her aunt chuckled. Karie looked up and blushed.

"I can't believe you told him yes." She told her aunt.

"I can tell he is a nice boy, besides when he told me his full name I recognized his name as one from our church, he comes from a very good family, I know his mother…nice woman. Raising all those kids on her own. Beside all of that, young lady, I know you…and I can tell you like him."

"Yes I do and thank you so much for letting me go, you are the best aunt. Though I'm not to happy with the movie choices they mentioned…horror." She told her aunt.

"I might ask if I can go with you. I remember the last time you tried to watch a scary movie, that we almost died laughing, missed almost the entire movie, too."

"I warned them, Chris just said that this would be fun. I just know I am going to end up as this evenings entertainment." She moaned.

Karie was ready and waiting with her aunt in the living room by 7pm. At exactly 7 there is a knock at the door. It was Keith and Danny.

"Hi'ya, Karie." Danny said. "I brought a friend of mine along for our date." Pointing at Keith. Keith reached over and pushed Danny away from the door.

"Both of you can come in and meet my aunt, if you'd like." Karie said.

She made the introductions, they promised to have her back at a decent hour, and off they went. There was a brand new light blue Mustang sitting out at the curb, Karie stopped in her tracks.

"Who's is that?" she asked.

Keith and Danny looked at each other. Keith shrugged.

"Mine." Keith replied.

"Yours?" she asked, glancing at Keith.

"Hey, I worked hard for that car, Keith said in his own defense. "It's not someone gave it too me."

"Believe me, he did work hard for it." Danny was quick to back him up.

"Whoa, guys, I didn't accuse you of stealing it, I was just asking because its' a beautiful car. Jeez."

"Sorry, I guess we're a little nervous." Keith said in way of apology.

"You're nervous? You should be, you're taking a known chicken into the midst of a horror movie and expecting to come out alive? Scared, you should be." Karie said jokingly.

Keith reached over and took her arm in his and said, "Come on, let's go see just how scared we can get you. Hurry up, Danny, this should be fun."

"I have a feeling I have just made the second biggest mistake in my life." Karie said.

"And just what would have been the first biggest mistake?" Keith asked.

"Not meeting you sooner." Karie took off to look closer at the car; embarrassed she had said that out loud. She hardly knew him. And his killer smile made her want to melt into a puddle at his feet.

Keith turned to look at Danny, he had the biggest grin on this face and Keith could feel one on his face too. They both turned and walked out to the car, where Karie already was. Keith walked up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, she smiled shyly up at his face.

"Just how tall are you?" Keith asked.

"Oh, here we go…short jokes now…what, do you people not like me? Or what? First, you want to scare me to death and now you're saying I'm short?" she ranted.

"Now, who's nervous?" Keith asked.

"Alright, I am, but I have been teased about only being five foot tall. So I get a little touchy." Karie admitted.

Danny reached over and ruffled the top of her hair. "Hey, shorty, wanna go for a ride?"

"Oh, you, after I took all that time brushing out all the knots I got at the beach, you probably put in tons more, but I suppose I wouldn't have been able to keep knots out of my hair in the back of a convertible." She replied laughing.

Danny sings "I woke up in love this morning" and jumps in the car. Keith looks at Danny and lifts his eyebrows at him, Danny grins sheepishly and shrugs, "come on, you two old pokey people." Danny told them.

"Old? Who you talking to?" Keith asked Danny, "Besides, we don't even know how old Karie is, do we?" he said.

Both of them turn to Karie and look at her expectantly.

Karie looked back at them, "What?"

"Come on, give it up, just how old are you? You know Danny; maybe we should wait before we take her anywhere. What if she's jailbait? You might be safe, but I don't want to go to jail…though, she just might be worth it."

"Might be worth it?" Karie replied, "I'll have you know I will be 21 soon."

"How soon? 5 years?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, we want proof." Keith added.

"Fine," she said as she climbed in the car, sat down and dug through her purse until she pulled out her wallet. Then she handed Danny her license.

"Yep. She's going to be 21 alright." Danny told Keith.

He went to hand it to Keith, but Karie was too quick for him and got it first.

"Okay, boys, are we going or are you going to tease and torture me all night long?" she asked.

"Well, torture doesn't sound so bad." Keith said with a smile. But he got in the car, with Danny in the back seat; they took off to their house to pick up Chris. It wasn't that long of a drive, and Keith was an excellent driver. She hadn't mentioned her fear of driving in a convertible, as they already had enough ammunition to tease her with. His sitting next to her though distracted her so that she wasn't even thinking about being in a convertible.

It took no time at all and they were pulling up in front of the theater; Keith turned off the car and got out to walk around the car to open her door for her. Before he let her see the names on the billboard he covered her eyes with his hands. Chris and Danny led her into the theater. The boys all were laughing and she felt very silly, but it was all in fun.

She had no way of knowing which movie she was going to see as they were very careful not to let her see any of the advertisements outside in the hall. Keith led her to her seat and then sat down next to her. He put his arm on the back of her seat and then let it slide down onto her shoulders, he pulled her over to his side as much as they seat would allow. She smiled up at him, so nervous that her hands were shaking. She didn't move a muscle, she was really nervous, though it felt nice leaning up against Keith's side.

"Relax. I won't bite…much. Keith said in her ear. Karie laughed and relaxed, a little.

The movie started, Karie was already nervous so when the intro music boomed into the theater, she jumped. Keith laughed but didn't say anything.

She was okay for the first part of the movie, it was just when the scary parts would come on that she had trouble. The first couple of times she tried real hard just to sit there, but when the bad guy jumped out from behind some trees after the girls she screamed and turned into Keith's arms. He just held her close while she kept peeking out from under his arm.

Danny looked over at them and laughed, Keith looked like he should be uncomfortable with Karie wrapped around him like that, but he had a contented look on his face. Danny sighed, it was time Keith found someone that nice that liked him for himself, and this girl did seem to be nice. Too bad she didn't live in California.

Keith was contented, here he was holding a beautiful woman in his arms, whom he knew like him for himself and not just because he was part of the Partridge Family singing group. Though he did have guilty feelings whenever he thought about not telling her what he did for a living. But he was very careful since the last girl that he went out with had only went out with him because he was part of the group. He'd have to tell her soon, but not now. He'd have to find the right way to tell her now. Surely she'd understand. Maybe? Hopefully.

After the first movie was over a second one came on. Scarier than the first. Right during one of the real scary scenes, Karie stood up.

"Does anyone want something to drink?" she asked.

"No!!!" they all said at once. Keith grabbed her and pulled her back down.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Karie told Keith.

"Really?" Keith asked her, looking her straight in the eyes. She squirmed.

"No, not really." She said. Keith laughed.

"Good, then come back to me." He said. She scooted back into his arms. She gave up and hid in his arms for the rest of the movie.

At the end of the movie when the lights came up in the theater, Danny looked over at Karie.

"Let's watch them again, I didn't get to see Karie scream."

"You would have if you hadn't been hiding yourself." Keith laughed. "Beside my ears are still ringing."

Karie sat up straight at that.

"What? Fine, see if I ever watch scary movies with you anymore." She tried to get up out of her seat, but Keith grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her.

"Too bad there are other people are around." Keith said.

"Keith!" Karie said pushing against his chest.

"What, Karie? All I meant was that we could talk and get to know each other better, what were you thinking about?" He was laughing at her and she knew it.

He was a darling and she knew she was falling in love with him. Which scared her – did she want to move to California? There really wasn't anything to hold her in Texas, her parents were well off and really like being by themselves, so she wouldn't be missed there. A phone call every one in awhile would suffice for them. She had been thinking of moving to a collage here in California, and Keith was making it more enticing.

The ride home was fun, all of them joking and kidding around. Karie felt so lucky to be included with a family outing.

Meanwhile, over at Karie's aunts house…

"Mom, where is Karie?" Carol said, slamming the door as she came into the house.

"She's out on a date." Her mom told her daughter.

"With who?" Carol demanded.

"Keith from our church, though you wouldn't know him, beings you haven't been going to church lately." Her mother said.

"Mother don't start. You know it's not fair that Karie already has a date and she's only been here for one week." Carol whined to her mother.

"Carol, you should be happy for your cousin, instead of jealous." Her mom fussed at her.

"Why can't you be nice to me?" Carol yelled as she ran out of the house, away from her mother.

Her mom sat down on the chair in the living room, sad that she had yet another fight with her daughter. This is how Karie found her aunt, when she came bubbling into the house after Keith dropped her off. She sobered fast when she saw her aunt upset.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting next to her aunt and putting her arms around her shoulders.

"Carol and I had another argument." Her aunt replied.

"What did you two argue about this time?" Karie asked.

"Well, it was sort of about you." Her aunt relied sheepishly.

"Me?" Karie squeaked. "How come?"

"Carol came banging in the house demanding to know where you were and then said some jealous remarks and I wasn't very motherly and told her should be happy for you and not be so spiteful."

"Oh, Aunt Betty, you do all you can for her. It's just she's having problems right how because of your divorce. Maybe you two should sit down together with a family counselor before you get too far apart." Karie had taken some counseling sessions herself to help her deal with the way her parents treated her, and she knew just how comforting they could be.

"Karie, I'm so sorry to dump all this on you, but thank you for listening to me, sorry we ruined the end of your evening. How was it?" her aunt tried to change the subject.

"Aunt Betty, everyone needs to talk to someone. I'll always be here for you." Her aunt hugged her. "I did have such a nice time tonight, Keith was so sweet, and he didn't tease me all night long and he only laughed at me a couple of times." Karie told her aunt.

"He sounds really nice." Her aunt agreed.

"He is so much more than nice, Aunt Betty, it scares me the way I feel for him already. Maybe if I don't see him for a couple of days, I can get my head on straight. I was thinking of going to check out the college here, maybe I'll transfer here, would you mind if I hung around for a couple of years?" she asked her aunt.

"Karie, we'd love to have you stay here with us." Her aunt said excitedly.

"Oh no, Aunt Betty, I'd get my own apartment. I promise to come over lots. Promise." Karie replied.

"Well as long as you promise not to be a stranger. Guess you will be needing your privacy, I keep forgetting you will be 21 soon." Her aunt agreed.

"Maybe I'll get Carol to help me pick out an apartment close to the college." Karie offered.

Karie kissed her aunt goodnight and went to bed. She didn't sleep very well, dreaming about her aunt, carol, Keith and school. Weird dreams that we confusing and tiring. So when she woke up the next morning, she got up all stiff and grumpy. She walked into the kitchen and right off, saw Carol sitting as the table eating breakfast.

"Well, Karie, how are you and what's his name doing?" Carol said in a whiny tone.

"Look, Carol. I don't feel like fighting with you this morning. I was going to ask you to help me pick out an apartment but if you're gong to be attacking me all day…maybe not."

Instantly she felt bad for jumping on her cousin, no matter how mean she was.

"I'm sorry Carol, I had a bad night worrying about your mom, if I should change schools and I am sorry I took it out on you."

"Yes, miss perfect, you just move down here and take over all of our lives." Carol said and then ran out of the kitchen.

That girl needed help and she sure didn't help her this morning. She'd have to find a way to get back in Carol's good graces. Karie ate breakfast and got dressed fast because she wanted to be away from the house if Keith came by, not that she didn't want to see him, but she had serious decisions to make and school was going to start in a couple of months. So that didn't leave her much time to decide. And with Keith with her, she knew all she would be thinking of was him.

Aunt Betty, I'm getting ready to go out to the college to check it out, do you need anything while I'm out running around town?" Karie asked her aunt, before going out the door.

"What if your young man comes by or calls?" was her reply.

"Tell him he can call later, I need to go check out the college and to tell you the truth, if Keith is with me, I'd be too distracted by him, though if you tell him, I'll deny I said it." She laughingly told her aunt.


	2. Chapter 2

Karie took off to the college; she was driving her red Camaro, which her parents had bought her for graduation. So when she pulled up in the parking lot at the college she attracted quite a bit of attention. Red head in a red car. As she walked up to the admissions office, she had a nice looking guy walk up to her.

"Hello, my name is Mark, it is my duty to welcome you to the University of California at San Pueblo." He said taking her arm and leading her towards the admissions office.

Karie laughed, "Well, this is something that they need to do at the University of Texas, where I am from. Makes you feel down right welcome." She carefully extracted her arm from his, and stuck out her hand to him, "Hello, yourself, my name is Karie, and you're nice but I really have to go talk to the guidance counselors now."

"How about I meet you in a little while for coffee over at the cafeteria. I'd really like to hear about the college you came from." He told her.

"Really? Are you thinking of transferring over to Texas?" she asked.

"No, just want to hear you talk." Mark told her truthfully.

"Is there a shortage of girls here in San Pueblo?" Karie asked him.

"Why do you ask that?" he asked curiously.

"Because I get hit on everywhere I go." She answered.

"I'm surprised that I get to be the one to tell you this, but in case you didn't notice in the mirror this morning, you are very beautiful." He answered smiling at her.

"So are about a million other girls here in California. But thank you for the compliment. I've really got to go, it was nice meeting you, Mark, maybe I'll see you around on campus."

Karie couldn't understand why she wasn't attracted to Mark, he was kind of forward, but that can be a good thing sometimes. She didn't know why, she'd think about it later, right now she needed to keep other things on her mind, like checking into this college before it was too late for admissions. Luckily someone had cancelled their appointment so she got to go straight in to see the counselor. Karie talked to the counselor for about an hour, going over the courses she had already taken in Texas, to see if they were transferable. Which luckily they were. So after about three hours and most of that was waiting for the Texas College to transfer her records…she was a student of the University of California at San Pueblo. well she was registered. Now all she had to do was get an apartment then figure out her feelings for Keith, oh yeah, that was all…easy…right!

When Karie got back to her car, there stood Mark, leaning against her Camaro. Now this was getting aggravating. She just ignored him and got in her car. Then he got in on the passenger side.

"And where are you going?" she asked him.

"Well, I thought that since you were new here I would offer to show you the sights." He replied.

"Mark, that is very nice of you but I'm going to have to say no, you see I'm not looking for anyone to hang with right now. I have a guy that I'm sort of seeing right now." She told him.

"You shouldn't tie yourself down to just one guy, Karie, you should go out with several until you decide who's the best, like me." He laughed.

"Mark, you are incorrigible. I tell you what. If you leave me alone now, I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow, here at the cafeteria." She bargained with him.

"Oh alright, if that's how you want it. I'll be here tomorrow at noon, I'm trusting you to be here." He got out of the car and stood on the sidewalk watching her drive off.

Karie's next stop was the corner store to pick up a newspaper, she then stopped at the McDonalds and while she ate her meal, she looked through the paper. She circled several and went to the payphone to call. She did find one that had several listings close to the college but not too close and in the price range that she wanted to pay.

Karie really didn't have to worry about money; her grandmother had left her about $500,000 when she died. Karie's father was an investor and had invested her money wisely and she was now a very rich young woman. Karie had spent three years living and taking care of her grandmother. Everyone else just kept saying they didn't have the time, but Karie put her life on hold for her grandmother. Naturally she left her the money; this was another reason for Carol's anger towards Karie. All Carol got when the grandmother died was the house that her and her mother now lived in and $20,000 in a trust fund.

By the end of the day, she was tired and she had decided on one apartment, but told him that she would sign the papers tomorrow, it was kind of weird but the apartment complex she ended up picking was just a couple of blocks from the Partridge Family house.

She pulled into her aunt's driveway about 6pm. All she wanted to do was take a bath and go to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be another long day, what with signing for the apartment, then she'd have to pick out furniture. She'd enjoy doing that.

As she got out of her car she noticed a car in front of the house. She wondered who was visiting her aunt. She went in through the back door so as not to disturb them. But obviously, her aunt was listening for her.

"Karie? Is that you?" her aunt hollered.

Karie grimaced, she really didn't feel like meeting someone right now, she was tired and wanted her bath. But she answered her aunt anyway.

"Yes, Aunt Betty, it's me."

"Come see who is in our living room." Her aunt invited.

She slowly dragged herself to the living room…just dreading meeting some relative or other and having to sit for hours talking about old times. Usually she loved visiting but…when she reached the doorway she looked up and there sat Keith. He got up as she came in the room and hugged her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Keith, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Ouch! That hurt. I came over to see you. Aren't you happy to see me?" he pouted.

"Oh Keith, yes I'm happy to see you, I'm just so tired, I've been running around all day and I guess you just met the grumpy Karie." She explained.

"If that is as bad as you get, it'll be great. Now come over and sit by me and tell me about your day." He invited.

Karie's aunt got up and started heading for the kitchen.

"Keith, she does have a temper, it builds slow but it is mean when it gets there." She laughed. "I'll go get you two something to drink, what'll it be? Coke or Sweet tea?"

"Tea." Both answered.

Keith turned to Karie.

"So you have a temper? I was wondering how you could escape not having one with that hair." He said.

" 'THAT' hair doesn't necessarily make me have a temper you know, but I'll make an exception for you, if you like." She spouted at him.

"Whoa, come sit down. Poor baby, what did you do today that wore you out so much?" he said trying not to laugh at her.

"Well, I went out to the college and enrolled and then went out to look at apartments, I found one that I liked…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Keith jumped up grabbed her and twirled her around.

"Keith, put me down!" she yelled. He did.

"So this means you won't be leaving in a few months?" he asked.

"No, I decided to go to school here, I had been thinking about it since I got here. You think you'll be able to stand me being here for a while longer?" she hinted.

"Karie, you couldn't have made me happier." Keith told her. He sat back down and pulled her down next to him. "What will you be studying? Where's your apartment? Why didn't you ask me to go with you?"

"Whoa, one question at a time," she said laughing. "First, I am studying to be a teacher, kindergarten or first grade. Second, my apartment is on Woodlake drive which is only a couple of blocks from your house, and third, I can't concentrate around you so I wouldn't have got anything done."

"Oh really?" he said moving closer to her on the couch.

"Keith, what are you doing?" she giggled as he pressed even closer.

"Trying to see just how distracting I am to you." He answered.

"Keith, quit it." She laughed. "I was right not to take you with me, though you being with me would have made Mark leave me alone." She said sobering at the thought of Mark today.

Keith sat up at that. "Who's Mark?"

"This guy I met at the college, he kept following me around until I promised to meet him for lunch tomorrow at the college." She admitted.

"Really? Maybe I should go to lunch with you, too." He threatened.

"Keith! You wouldn't dare." She exclaimed.

He just laughed at her.

"Keith, I can handle a guy flirting with me." She said defensively.

"Oh, now he's flirting with you?" Keith questioned.

"Let's just drop this…what did you do today?" she tried to change the subject.

"Wait for you.' He answered.

"That's all?" she asked.

"What do you mean? 'That's all'. No one would tell me where you were. So I had to keep coming back to check if you were home yet." He told her.

"Yes, he's been here five times today." This from Karie's aunt who came in carrying two glasses of iced tea.

"How sweet." Karie told Keith.

"There you go again with the sweet guy thing." He teased.

"Keith, would you like to stay for dinner?" Karie's aunt asked.

"No thanks, Karie is tired and grumpy, (Karie elbowed him in the ribs) so I am going to leave so she can get some rest, as we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Then he whispered in her ear, "Unless you want me to stay and help you relax?"

"Keith, I think I can manage. Thank you very much." She said, laughing at his serious face, making her forget to question the 'we have a big day' statement, which was his idea.

Keith left to go home. Karie then left the room to go take her bath, as soon as she had left Carol came into the house.

"Mom, who was that leaving just now?" she asked.

"Karie's friend, Keith." Her mom answered.

"You know, mom, he looks very familiar." She walked over to her mom and put her arm around her waist. "Mom, I'm sorry I have been such a pain. It's just so much has been going on, and it seems like everything always goes right for Karie and never for me." She moaned.

"Carol, things will turn out alright for you, just be patient, and Karie deserves some happiness, so be happy for her, I love you and know you will get happiness too." Her mom comforted her daughter.

"Thanks, mom." Carol said trying to sound happy to her mom.

Karie came out of the bathroom and saw the two of them actually talking so she quickly went to her room so as not to disturb them. She was very happy to go to bed, even though it was still early.

Meanwhile at the taco stand, Keith was sitting with his friends at a table up front. Keith was talking and had all their attention.

"You mean she said this guy followed her around 'til she agreed to have lunch just so he'd leave her alone?" Keith's friend Nick sounded incredulous that such a thing would happen.

"That's what she let slip while we were talking just a minutes ago." Keith told all his friends.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Skizzy demanded.

"We?" Keith asked.

"Hey, you like this girl, right? Then that makes her our friend, too." This from Brian, who had been sitting quietly, just listening.

"Well, we can't all just go over there and demand to go to lunch to get rid of this guy, can we? Boy, Karie would really be mad, but I was thinking, she rented an apartment, and it's right down the street from our house. Anyway we could volunteer to help pick out furniture, which I know is one of the things she said she was to do tomorrow, and then we just don't let her out of our sight" Keith looked really proud of himself.

"And just how are you going to keep her from going to lunch without us?" Nick wanted to know.

"I'm going to get up early and pick her up in my car." Keith told them.

There were four stunned faces staring back at him.

"What's wrong with that idea?" he asked them.

Gordy pretended to fall to the ground in a fake heart attack.

"Did he really say he was getting up early?" Gordy said. Keith got up and kicked Gordy in the bottom.

"Get up you fool." Keith told him.

The rest of the guys burst into laughter.

"All right you jokesters, what are we going to do then?" Keith asked.

"Your idea about picking up Karie was a good one, but not all of us can go, I think she'd get suspicious." Skizzy told Keith. "So we need to decide who gets to go, I think Gordy and I should go. At least we'll be awake, which we don't know if we can say about you." Still teasing his friend.

"Now that all that is settled, I have to go home and get some sleep." Keith told all of them, getting up from the table.

"Keith why don't you sleep over at my house? Just call your mom and tell her that you're staying the night. If you wake up early in the morning over there you're liable to kill her from the shock." Gordy teased Keith.

"Very funny, Gordy, but I will stay over, better go call my mom." He got up to walk over to the payphone.

As soon as he walked away, Gordy turned to the other guys and said. "Keith has it bad, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, real bad, but I don't think we have to worry about it too much, because I think Karie is in the same fix." Skizzy replied.

"They make a cute couple." Nick said

Everyone threw their leftover hotdogs at Nick.

"You know he hasn't told her yet that he is the lead singer in their band." Gordy told them.

"What?!" Skizzy exclaimed. "We need to talk to him. Karie is going to be real upset with him if she finds out from someone else before he tells her."

Next morning she woke up refreshed and eager to go sign for her apartment and go furniture hunting. She took a quick shower, got dressed, and was all ready to go, walked out into the living room and stopped.

"Keith! What did you do sleep on the porch?" Karie asked him.

"No!" he said laughing. "I just decided that you weren't leaving me again today, so I sacrificed and got up early."

"Sacrificed, huh?" Karie replied.

"You'll never believe how big a sacrifice." Gordy said.

Karie spun around to see Gordy and. Skizzy coming into the living with her aunt trailing behind them.

"All of you?" she squeaked.

Gordy turned to Skizzy. "You know, I don't feel any love in this room."

"I just wasn't expecting…" she turned to Keith. "Keith, what are you doing?" she accused him. He jumped guiltily.

"What?!"

"Don't go acting innocent on me, Keith, what are you three up too?"

Gordy walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulders, "Karie, is it so wrong that we want to help Keith's new friend with her apartment?"

"No…but I thought…well, Gordy, it is nice that you want to help, this will make the day fun." She replied smiling, still suspicious.

Gordy felt a twinge of guilt, but after all it was in her best interest to help this guy find someone else to stalk. Keith came over to the two of them and carefully removed Gordy's arm, took her hand and started to pull her towards the front door.

"Keith, quit pulling on me, you're going to pull my arm right out of its socket." She complained.

"I was just trying to get us out of here before the rest of my friends show up." He explained.

"What?!" now she grabs his hand, and starts pulling him towards the front door, turning to look at Gordy and Skizzy, "come on, guys, before we have to get a bus." She told them.

"Plu-eeze, not a bus." Gordy said. Skizzy hits him on the arm and motions toward Karie, but she didn't notice she was too busy trying to get Keith through the door, while he was holding onto the door frame.

"I didn't get any coffee." He moaned to her.

"You don't drink coffee." She told him.

He let go of the doorframe so fast that Karie fell against him, He grabbed hold of her and looked down into her eyes.

"How did you know that?" he asked her accusingly.

"Because, Einstein, you didn't have coffee breath when you came close to me." She answered.

He leaned down and kissed her and then turned to his friends and smiled, "Let's go get some furniture."

"Don't you think we should let her go sign for the apartment first?" Skizzy asked.

The first stop of course, was the apartment complex. She walked into the managers' office alone, the guys had wanted to go in with her but Karie said they would ask for too big of a deposit for her having so many pets. So they waited in the car. As soon as she got into the building Skizzy leaned on the back of the front seat so that he could talk better to Keith.

"Keith we've got to talk, no you've got to talk…to Karie. You have to tell her who you are. You know it will just get harder for all of us, we will have to keep watching what we say, just this morning Gordy slipped and moaned about the bus. It is not fair for her or us. Surely you can see by now that she likes you just for you." Skizzy tried to convince him

"I just can't understand what she sees in Keith, when I'm right here." Gordy said from the back seat.

"No joking, Gordy, this has to be done, before it goes too far. What? You've only known her for a week?" Skizzy asked.

"Try two days." Keith said leaning his head on the steering wheel. "I know I have to tell her but the opportunity never seems to come up."

"Try taking her to a record store and handing her one of your records." Gordy said.

"Gordy, are you really trying to help?" Keith asked him.

"Yeah." He replied, confused.

"Well, quit. Don't worry I'll tell her." Keith told his friends.

"Let's hope so, it looks like both of you get along pretty well, but Karie seems like the kind of person who wants to be trusted, I don't think she's going to take the news very well that you didn't." Skizzy said.

"Here comes Karie now." Gordy had been watching the door for her to reappear.

As Karie got back in the car, Gordy reached from the back seat and put his hands over her eyes.

"Quick, Keith, leave before she finds out who she's with." Leaving it wide open for Keith to explain that he was Keith Partridge: celebrity.

"Oh, and just who am I with?" she asked. "The three stooges, I bet." Both Gordy and Skizzy looked at Keith.

"Right." Keith chickened out. Shrugging when he could see Gordy and Skizzy glaring at him in the rearview mirror.

"Skizzy and I are here in the back seat but chickenman is driving." Gordy said as removed his hands.

"Chickenman? I thought he was Keith?" she asked confused.

"Not today." Gordy said.

The drive over to the furniture store was quiet and when they got out of the car Karie went over to Keith an gave him a hug, then turned and put one of her hands on Gordy's chest and the other on Skippy's chest, halting them in their tracks.

"Now, children, don't embarrass me in the store."

Gordy turned to Skizzy.

"You notice she didn't say anything to Keith, is that prejudice or what?"

"No, Keith, I'll lock in his trunk, I already took his keys so that I could." She informed them

Keith reached into his coat pocket to check for the keys he had just dropped into his pocket a minute ago or at least he thought he had, but of course they weren't there anymore.

"How did you get the keys?" he asked her.

"Distractions. Hugs are real nice aren't' they?" she told him.

"And here I thought you were feeling sorry for me because they were picking on me, and instead I find out that you are a pickpocket." He said.

She started walking towards the door, "Okay, boys, lets be nice and keep in mind that I like nice shades of browns, reds, cool colors…nothing weird or wild colors like purple or fuchsia." She told them.

"What no yellow?" Gordy asked.

"Alright, we can let the kitchen be yellow, Gordy." She told him.

They walked into the store and Gordy promptly fell onto a yellow and brown patterned couch.

"No! Gordy, this is not the color I want in my living room." She told him.

"Come on, everytime I come over I'd have a favorite place to sit." He replied.

"No Gordy." Karie was trying to stand firm, but she had to admit the couch was pretty. She turned to look at Keith and Skizzy. "What do you think?"

"It's your choice." Keith said.

"Chicken." Gordy accused him for the second time that day.

"I'll tell you what Gordy, I'll keep this one in mind and if I don't find one I absolutely love we'll come back for this one."

They wandered around the store looking at the rest of the furniture, with Gordy trailing real close by Karie. Everytime she'd go to look at a couch, he'd either catch hold of her hand and turn her around or put his hands over her eyes. Keith and Skizzy didn't help, just kept laughing at the two of them. Finally Karie turned to Gordy.

"Alright, you win, we'll get the couch, so now help me find other furniture to go with it. And Gordy…not all yellow!"

All together they picked out the couch, a loveseat, two overstuffed chairs, a coffee table and mostly in shades of brown except for 'Gordy's couch', as it became known.

"Alright, I'm going to pick out my bedroom furniture, so you three can go look at kitchen stuff if you want." She told them.

"But this is what I've been waiting for all day." Keith told her

"No way, Keith, with you three helping me, I'd probably end up with mirrors on the ceiling and some weird shaped bed." She said.

"How did she know about your dream bedroom?" Gordy asked him.

"Have you two been talking bedroom furniture already?" Skizzy teased her.

"You three are going to drive me crazy. Look, I'll make a deal with you, I'll let you three pick all my kitchen items, your choice, heaven help me, if you'll leave me alone long enough to pick out what I want for my bedroom."

"Come on, guys, let's go have some fun with Karie's kitchen." Keith said, taking off towards the kitchen area

"Please be nice to me." She pleaded to deaf ears, because they were already gone. "What have I done?" she asked herself.

-+


End file.
